A Bond Mended
by Anne-Lilian
Summary: <html><head></head>A new camper is brought to Camp, their history shrouded in mystery. Percy and the other campers must decide whether or not to trust them, as time leads them ever unwittingly closer to the Battle of the Labyrinth. Rated T to be sure, slight Percabeth, Will Solace/OC. Rewrite of Family is just a Word.</html>
1. Jade

**A/N: Here it is! This is a rewrite of my earlier fic: Family is just a Word. I deemed that a horrible story after reading it again ;)**

**Just a warning, in case you hadn't noticed: this is an OC story, so if you don't like that kind of thing, I suggest you don't continued on.**

**Chapter 1: Jade**

**PPOV**

Percy was fairly sure he was having a nightmare. Once he woke up he could never be sure of the details, but he was certain he'd had that particular dream before. He remembered he was very young in the dream, maybe three or four and that someone had screamed. He remembered being terrified, but what of, he didn't know. It was frustrating, to say the least.

It was late July and he'd been at Camp ever since school had let out. He'd been plagued with nightmares ever since. It was weird, usually he'd either have prophetic dreams – as half-bloods sometimes have – or regular nightmares, but this didn't feel like either. He couldn't put his finger on it though, as decided that sleep was going to evade him for the rest of the night anyway, so he might as well do something useful.

Percy snuck out of his cabin – easy now that he was the only inhabitant again – and went out to the lake. Swimming always cleared his head, even though the naiads had the annoying habit of watching and giggling while he was still close to the shore. He waded in and willed his clothes to get wet. He could swim without that, but it made him feel better to get connected to the water like that. He swam past the water nymphs and into the deeper parts of Long Island Sound, diving until he was close to the bottom. He could breathe just fine down there, and the pressure didn't bother him, so it was an ideal hiding place.

Percy shooed a few stray fishes away while he settled on the sandy ground. Most of the sea creatures around here knew to leave him alone, but they were still curious. And terrible gossips, he was sure the naiads would hear everything from them come morning.

He had the strangest feeling about his dreams, like they were important somehow, but he couldn't for the life of his figure out why, or what the hell they were about anyway…

"Percy?" A voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up. Before him stood a pretty girl, her hair floating on the water. She seemed to be suppressing a giggle, which didn't really improve Percy's mood.

"Yeah?" he answered the naiad.

She blushed. "There's a girl on the beach, she was looking for you," she said, looking like she had something else to say, but needed to get this out of the way first.

"Oh, okay, it's probably Annabeth." He couldn't think of any other girl who'd want to talk to him in the middle of the night.

The naiad waved a hand impatiently, as if to say _does it matter?_ "You know," she said as Percy got up. "You should come by more often. Mayim's throwing a party Friday, and we'd love for you to come," she said self-importantly. That was the problem with naiads, they were nice and all, but they were also pretty vain and far too giggly for his tastes. He preferred more serious girls. At least they didn't make him feel uncomfortable.

"Uhm…" he replied intelligently. "Not sure if I can, but I'll try." If he'd turned her down right away, he knew she wouldn't have let him go – or, rather, she'd have tried to keep pestering him, and though he could outswim her easily, it wasn't a bother he wanted to deal with – so he just lied and never showed up. If he wanted a whole bunch of squealing girls all around him, he'd visit the Aphrodite cabin.

"Okay," she agreed, and Percy could tall that she knew he wasn't going to come.

"Tell Mayim I'm sorry," he said awkwardly, before willing the currents to take him to the beach.

When he got there, he couldn't see anything, but he saw footprints leading onto the beach and not away from it, so he figured Annabeth was wearing her cap. Smart, considering the harpies would most likely either eat her or make her do chores if she was caught.

"Hey Annabeth," he greeted, plopping down onto the sand next to her and reveling in the warm breeze against his wet skin.

"Why are you wet?" a disembodied voice next to him asked.

"He raised an eyebrow. "Helps me think. Why are _you_ still invisible?" he shot back gently, reminding her of the fact.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, pulling her cap off her head. Percy smiled at her, and turned back to the sea. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while. Percy knew that if Annabeth had something to say, pestering her wouldn't help, she'd tell him in her own time. He'd been hit over the head plenty of times by the fiery blonde for that, at least.

Annabeth sighed. "I had a nightmare," she confessed finally. Percy regarded her curiously. Two strong demi-gods having nightmares on the same night was never a good sign. Though it could always be a coincidence, he supposed… He decided to just wait for her to explain.

"I can't remember what it was about, exactly… I know you were in it, and you were upset, and there was someone else, a girl, I think… I think she was in trouble…"

"Do you think it was a demi-god?" he asked. Her nightmare probably had nothing to do with his own, but he couldn't rule it out.

Annabeth frowned at the ocean, and Percy could imagine a million thoughts churning behind those stormy grey eyes, offering up new theories and dismissing them just as fast, drawing up a battle plan. "Yes," she replied, finally. "She was definitely a demi-god. I think maybe we should try to find her."

"Do you remember where you saw her?" he asked hesitantly. She'd said the dream wasn't very clear, which often meant that it wasn't a vision, but he couldn't be sure. Either way, it wasn't a good idea to argue with Annabeth. He'd follow her if she asked.

The blonde finally looked at him then. "Yes. New York."

/*/

**JPOV**

I had to run. There was no place for me from where I'd come, and I had no clue where I was headed, but I knew I had to run. Ducking into an alley, I hoped my pursuers would give up, I was exhausted, I had nothing left, no strength.

I hid behind a dumpster, hoping it would mask my scent. I'd learned the hard way how they were tracking me. I knew I shouldn't sleep, they'd find me, hunt me down, and I'd be vulnerable, but I couldn't fight the drooping of my eyelids. I'd just rest my head, just for a moment, then…

A loud bang woke me instantly, and I was up and running before I could fully comprehend what was going on. Stifling a groan, I turned a corner and kept going, though I could hear no one behind me anymore. I couldn't risk sleeping, I had to keep going, had to keep running…

/*/

**PPOV**

Telling Chiron about Annabeth's dream was rather anticlimactic, as the centaur had already known about a rogue demi-god roaming the streets of New York.

"A satyr is on her trail, but she's never in one place long enough for him to track her down," he explained. "Perhaps it would be better if you two helped retrieve this one."

Annabeth frowned, not having expected him to be so compliant. "May I ask, sir, why?"

Chiron looked thoughtful as he gazed out over the grassy fields of the Camp. "Well, for one, she's older than most unclaimed demi-gods. Tiades – the satyr tracking her – suspects she's about 13, if not older. For another… You know Luke is gathering more supporters every day," he warned.

"And we'd rather he not get his hands on this one, we get it," Percy said.

The centaur regarded him. "I feel that she will be important, somehow, especially if Annabeth is dreaming of her. If she's as powerful as Tiades thinks she is…"

"Luke can't get his hands on her," Annabeth finished.

/*/

It was another half a day before they could leave Camp. They took a cab to Manhattan and met up with Tiades. Even though they searched all day, all they found was a scrap of fabric behind a dumpster. Annabeth proved to be the most useful of the three, having lived on the streets herself, but even she could only do so much.

"We're never going to find her this way," Annabeth growled out in frustration as the trio walked into Central Park with their lunch.

Percy wanted to comfort her, but he had no clue what to say. Hey, it was true, how were they supposed to find a teenaged – BANG!

They all stopped and turned in the direction of the noise. The sun had just gone down and that probably meant the monsters were coming out to play.

Want to find a demi-god in New York city? Head for the nearest explosion. Percy ran ahead, followed closely by Annabeth, with Tiades following in the back, limping due to his need to hide his hoofs.

They ran all the way to a fountain that Percy couldn't for the life of him remember what it was called. He'd have asked Annabeth, had there not been a young girl desperately trying to fight off four monsters with her bare hands.

Percy charged in and managed to decapitate the first monster, not even stopping to see what it had been. He did register that the sound they'd heard was the fountain exploding. He vaguely wondered how the monsters had managed that one, but quickly dismissed the thought as he dodged a swing from one of the other Uglies he needed to kill.

Annabeth quickly engaged the third monster, but hadn't managed to catch it by surprise, and it was putting up a hell of a fight.

Just as Percy reduced his second monster to dust, the girl screamed. He whirled around, only to see Tiades ninja-kicking some kind of snake-creature in the face. It spit something in retaliation, but Tiades was more than quick enough to evade it, now that he'd shed the fake shoes. The girl was crumpled to the ground and Tiades seemed to have his monster under control. While Annabeth got rid of her own evil creature, Percy raced to the girl's side and turned her over.

The first thing he did was catalogue her injuries – claw marks on her right leg, a head wound, a multitude of bruises and superficial scratches in all stages of healing, and a sticky substance covering her eyes, like a grotesque mask. The next thing he noted was her appearance: she looked like a younger copy of his mother.

In hindsight, it was probably a very good thing that Annabeth and Tiades were there, because Percy would probably have just kept staring. Annabeth worked to bind the unknown girl's leg, while Tiades – having cut the snake's head off – took out some nectar and started pouring a little down the girl's throat.

Percy was shaken out of his stupor – which had thankfully only lasted about a second – when the satyr elbowed him. "Get that sticky stuff off of her face. The snake spit it at her, and I don't like the look of it."

Percy summoned water from the spraying fountain to clear the girl's face, but he'd never tried to control such a small burst before. Somehow, he managed to pick the 'mask' off her face. It didn't look good. The skin around her eyes was red and irritated, and when Percy pried open one of her eyes, it was more bloodshot than he'd ever seen before.

"We need to get her back to camp," Annabeth said, but she paused when she looked at the girl's face. "Percy…" she whispered.

"I know," he replied grimly, before getting up. "I'm summoning Blackjack, she needs to get to camp _now_. Can you two get back on your own?" he asked apologetically, dismissing the previous topic. Annabeth and Tiades nodded grimly.

Percy closed his eyes and concentrated on the black Pegasus. _'Hey bud? Gonna need your help again. Hurry,'_ he urged mentally.

Annabeth finished binding the gash in the girl's – he _really_ had to figure out her name – leg, and most of her smaller scratches seemed to have scabbed over if not healed completely, courtesy of the nectar.

"Jade," Annabeth murmured as she knelt next to Percy.

"What?" he asked, confounded.

The blonde pointed at the girl's neck. "Her necklace, it must be her name," she explained. Sure enough, the girl was wearing a silver necklace bearing the name 'Jade' in swirly letters. It was a bit worse for wear, having been bent somewhat out of shape and being crusted with blood. Honestly, if Annabeth hadn't mentioned it, he probably wouldn't have been able to read it, he was having trouble as it was.

Flapping wings and a cheerful whinny interrupted Percy's scrutiny. _'Hey boss!'_ Blackjack greeted, even as he nuzzled Annabeth, probably searching for donuts.

Tiades helped get the unconscious girl – Jade, he corrected mentally – onto the Pegasus in front of Percy, while the latter explained the situation, briefly, to Blackjack.

Before long, they were ready to go. "Be careful," Percy warned, looking at his best friend.

"You too, Seaweed Brain," she replied softly, and stepped back so the winged horse could take off.

/*/

*Mayim: means 'water' in Hebrew  
>**Tiades: comes from Miltiades, meaning 'red earth'<p>

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this, but know that I won't be updating until I have either completed this, or have written enough that I don't have to worry about this being abandoned as was it's predecessor. **

**Still, let me know what you think, and if you have any theories, I'm always interested (reading the original story is cheating! ;) )**


	2. Camp What-Now?

**A/N: So, yeah, I know I said I would wait to update until most of this is done, but I really just couldn't help myself ;) I've written up to chapter 6, so I have not made as much progress as I would like... Still, I'm trying to work on this while also keeping up with my 3 other active fanfics.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Camp What-Now?**

**JPOV**

I awoke slowly. Instinctively, I knew I wasn't in my own bed, so instead of bolting upright and announcing my current state of wakefulness to the world, I took a deep breath and cast out my senses.

I was lying on something soft, most likely a bed or a bunk or something, the room smelled fresh, like I'd imagine summer smelling like: strawberries and salt water, and that particular tang that announces rain. I heard all sorts of things. I could hear buzzing; a fly or a bee that was trying to get out of the room, distantly, there was laughter and a sort of… clanging? I couldn't imagine what that was. Closer by, I heard someone sigh, probably more out of boredom than actual malcontent, but it still set me on edge. Who was this person who was watching over me while I slept?

I thought back to the last I could remember and found my memories strangely fragmented. I recalled running away from home, remembered the first monster I'd come across, though not how I dealt with it. I remembered getting cornered at a fountain in Central Park by four gruesome creatures. I fought them off as best as I could with no weapons but a stick, but was hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned. I vaguely remembered a pulling sensation in my gut, and then one of the creatures attacked, but a boy jumped in the way and killed it with a single stroke of his sword.

Things only got vaguer after that.

So someone had saved me. Presumably, this was the person who was now in the room with me, or at least a friend. I decided to make a show of waking up, and groaned.

I moved and the groan turned into a wince and a quiet yelp. My leg and head throbbed like nobody's business, and my eyes, though still closed, felt like someone had taken a hot poker to them. And that wasn't even mentioning the general soreness of the rest of my body.

Footsteps hurried closer and the cool rim of a glass was pressed against my lips. "Drink, you'll feel better," a voice said. I didn't really pay attention to it, but vaguely catalogued it as a boy's voice.

The liquid tasted like nothing I'd ever had before. It was like Ben & Jerry's cookie dough, but at the same time, it was pancakes from my favorite diner, and it was also diet Dr Pepper and that fizzy raspberry cider I'd tasted once. It brought to mind the best memories I had, memories of a time before…

I finally opened my eyes, despite the lingering pain – though most of it had lessened to a dull throb – and came face-to-face with a cute blonde boy.

I blinked a few times to get the fog out of my eyes, but, apparently, it couldn't be helped. "Hi," I croaked. I cleared my throat and tried again.

The boy smiled at me. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"What happened? How long was I out?" I asked, struggling to sit up. The boy helped me by putting an arm around my shoulders and pulling. The contact made me uncomfortable, but I bit my tongue.

"You slept for about three days. We were worried that you might now wake up anymore," he said, sitting back down into a chair next to the bed. I took a minute to look around the room. It was a lot more spacious than I thought it would be. It held three beds on my side of the room, and four on the other, with those little curtains that you could close for privacy. We were in an infirmary. "Would've been a shame too, all that trouble we went through to get you here," the boy went on.

I frowned at him. "Where is here?"

The boy grinned and was just about to answer when a dark-haired boy walked in. I stared. He looked strangely familiar, like he was an old friend I hadn't seen in a few years, but, at the same time, I was certain I didn't know him.

"You're up," he said with a smile. "Good, we were beginning to worry." A blonde girl followed behind him. She seemed a lot less open than either of the boys, and she was looking at me with a calculating stare.

"Who are you? Any of you?" I asked, looking from one to the other.

The blonde boy looked sheepish. "Oops, should have started with that, shouldn't I? I'm Will, Will Solace, I've been making sure you've been healing."

"So you're like a nurse," I deadpanned. The dark-haired boy snorted in amusement, and even the blonde girl cracked a small smile.

Will spluttered. "What? No! I'm- I'm… more like a medical student," he said eventually.

"So I was treated by a student? Now I feel so much better," I teased, unable to keep a grin off my face. Seeing this guy flounder was pretty funny. Looking at him, though, he wasn't nearly old enough to be a student, he looked to be about my age, maybe a year or so older. Where the hell had I ended up?

"Well, I'm Percy and this is Annabeth. We got you out of that scrape back in Central Park," the black-haired boy said. Maybe that's why he looked familiar, then, I mused. I'd remembered someone crashing onto the scene before I blacked out.

"I guess I owe you thanks," I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose. A headache was building behind my eyes and it was splitting my head open. I wish they'd draw the curtains…

"Are you alright?" the blonde boy – Will – asked, concern replacing the mock-affronted face he'd put on earlier.

"I'm fine," I lied. "Just tired. So, where are we?" I asked, hoping to distract the teenagers. From the way none of them could sit quietly, I guessed they must be ADHD like me.

"New York," Percy said, smiling.

"I'm guessing you mean the state and not the city?" I replied dryly.

The blonde girl – Annabeth – rolled her eyes, and I got the feeling she did this a lot around Percy. I noticed that I couldn't make out her eye color, though she was standing more than close enough. I remembered Percy's were green, but I could barely tell the difference between his and Annabeth's anymore.

I realized that Annabeth had said something, and felt pretty stupid to have to ask. "I'm sorry, what?"

Luckily, Annabeth thought I'd just thought I'd heard it wrong. "It's a camp for people like us, half-bloods, hence the name," she said, sounding like she'd made this speech a few thousand times already.

"Half-blood?" I repeated, though I was having a hard time concentrating on the conversation. The pain behind my eyes was excruciating, even blotting out the soreness in the rest of my body. I closed my eyes to protect them from the light, and felt marginally better.

"If you're tired-" Will started, interrupting whatever it was that Annabeth had been about to say.

I waved a hand, even though I couldn't see their faces anymore. "It's fine, the light just bothers me a little."

Will hummed. "Must be from the venom you got in your eyes. We're still not sure what it was. I'll tell Chiron," he said, and I heard footsteps leading out of the room.

"Anyway," Annabeth continued. "Camp Half-Blood is for people who are only half mortal."

I peeked through my eyes to see if she was serious. She was. "Half mortal, half what?" I asked cautiously.

Percy took over. "Let me just take a wild guess and say that you're probably ADHD and dyslectic, you've never really fit in anywhere, and you've been kicked out of a lot of schools. How am I doing so far?"

I opened my eyes all the way to frown at him. "How do you know that?" I whispered. All those things were reasons my dad hated me, the reasons I ran away.

"We've all been through the same things," Annabeth said kindly _'I doubt it,'_ I thought bitterly. _'No one knows…'_ "You probably have one parent you've never met. Your remaining parent told you that they'd left or that they'd died," Annabeth continued.

Now I frowned in confusion. "I know both of my parents, they both raised me," I said.

I had to close my eyes against the lights again, but I could just feel the confusion radiating off of them. A silence followed. I wondered if they were silently conversing like my grandparents used to do before they died.

"I hate to break it to you, Jade, but one or both of them aren't your parents…" Percy said carefully.

Once again opening my eyes, I looked at them. I couldn't tell what I was feeling through the tangle of emotions that burst into my chest. Betrayal, confusion, anger… hope. I was hoping beyond reason that these strangers were right and that my parents, or at least my dad, wasn't actually my dad.

My breath came in gasps as realization set in. I didn't care if these two kids were right, I could _choose_ to believe what they were telling me. That Hank Andrews wasn't, in fact, my father. I realized that I'd started crying at some point, and that Annabeth had put a comforting arm around my shoulder, but I was _happy_. I laughed through my tears, and was vaguely aware of the other teens in the room looking at me like I was crazy.

I wiped away some of the tears – my eyes burned – and accepted the tissue Annabeth handed me. "I'm-" I started, but had to stop and take a breath before I could go on. "I hate my dad. To think that he may not be my father, is… well, it's comforting," I admitted.

"It may not be your dad…" Percy hazarded.

"It has to be him. He hates me, it makes sense that the reason would be that mom cheated on him."

"Why cheated? She could've had a relationship before your dad."

"They were high school sweethearts, always together, the _perfect_ couple… Mom always said that they couldn't conceive anymore after me, that my coming along was a miracle, because she'd thought she couldn't have any kids…" I trailed off. Mom would never have cheated on dad, she was far too cowardly, too afraid of what he'd do. So how…?

"Either way, this camp was built for people like us, people who are half-mortal…" Annabeth said.

Here it came, how could she say half-mortal, as if she was implying that… "Half god," I finished breathlessly. "That's what you meant? Half god? I can't be half-god, I'm not anything special, I'm just… me."

Percy sat on the edge of my bed. "Your ADHD is your battle reflexes, and your dyslexia is because your brain is hard-wired for ancient Greek. Once you're here a while, it'll start to make sense, I promise," he said with a grin.

I blinked against the light and moaned at the increase of the headache. All this new information was frying my brain. I massaged my forehead, but it didn't help one bit.

"Jade, are you alright?" Percy asked.

I opened my mouth to answer when a feeling like a hot poker being pushed through my eye sockets overwhelmed me. I heard someone screaming, and felt hands pushing me back onto the bed. It took me a minute to realize that I was the one screaming.

I was glad when the darkness finally claimed me…

**A/N: Tell me what you think! **


	3. Lights out

**A/N: Since I've finished chapter 6 and am working on chapter 7, I figured I could put up another chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 3: Lights out**

When I woke up, it was night. The room was pitch-black, no matter how wide I spread my eyes. I figured it must be a cloudy night, because there was no star- or moonlight filtering in. It was also uncomfortably warm, and I was thirsty. I sat up slowly, careful of my injuries, but most of the stiffness had faded while I was asleep. Thankfully, so had the headache. It was just a very dull throbbing behind my eyes now.

Someone else must've been in the room, because next think I knew, a hand was on my shoulder. I jerked in surprise, but the hand held fast. "It's just me," a voice said. I recognized it as the blond boy's, Will. I relaxed.

"Jeez, you must have perfect night vision, or this could've been embarrassing," I joked.

A pause. "Why night vision?" Will asked carefully. It sounded like he had a suspicion, but didn't want to voice it.

I rolled my eyes. "Duh, because it's dark. I can't see a thing! What time is it?" I asked curiously. I felt wide awake, but my sleeping schedule must've been off.

Will's hand slid down to my elbow, squeezing gently. "It's ten in the morning Jade, it's bright as day in here," he said, sounding sad.

All my breath left me suddenly. "No, that's.. it can't..." I trailed off. How could it be day? I couldn't see a thing! The only way that was possible, was if… I remembered the piercing headaches I'd had, the way my vision had been blurry, and how light had bothered me. "I'm… Am I blind?" I asked in a small voice. I knew the answer, but I needed to hear it.

The hand moved back to my shoulder, and eventually, an arm encircled me. "I'm so sorry."

Tears flowed down my cheeks again. I felt like a little baby. I'd lived through so much worse, I could handle thins. Yet, I still felt like my most precious possession had been taken from me and destroyed beyond repair before my eyes. "Is… is it permanent?" I managed to ask between sobs.

I felt him move – probably either nodding or shaking his head. "We did everything we could, but Chiron said that if you hadn't regained your sight by now, you probably wouldn't…"

He sounded so morose, I felt like comforting him. The guy had been nothing but nice to me, nursing me back to health as best he could, and now he was probably feeling like a failure.

I swallowed thickly and firmly ordered myself to stop crying. A few ragged breaths later, I'd managed to compose myself somewhat. "Distract me," I asked in a hoarse whisper.

The hand that had been rubbing my arm comfortingly, halted. "What?" Will asked, obviously confused.

"Whenever I'm upset, I try to distract myself. Tell me about yourself, who's your godly parent?" I asked, desperate for anything else to think about. I hope contemplating the idea of real, live gods would do the trick.

"Uhm… Well, my dad's Apollo…" he said, but trailed off, obviously unsure of how to go on.

"What about your mom?" I supplied. "Any siblings?"

"My mom's a cellist. She's a great musician, but she could never afford a good school, so she became a teacher instead. She lives in Queens and teaches in a small elementary school there. It isn't much, but it's home. My mom never remarried, so I don't have any siblings, but she's dating someone. He seems cool," he said, sitting next to me, but keeping his arm around my shoulders.

"You're lucky," I whispered. It was stupid of me to say anything, because I _really_ didn't want to start talking about my own family, but I couldn't help myself. A small, tiny part of me wanted him to ask, even if I was going to have to deflect the question. I didn't give him time to ask. "So Apollo, huh? So you're, what, a good singer?" I teased, wiping at my face again. It was still disorienting not to see anything, but at least I wasn't feeling the crushing panic anymore.

"Good? I'm amazing!" he mock boasted. I could just imagine him puffing out his chest and laughed at the image. "Archery is also one of my dad's gifts, and healing, though… I guess I wanted good enough, was I?"

I felt him sagging next to me, and immediately protested. "It wasn't your fault! You want to blame someone, blame the stupid snake that did this to me. At least you healed all of my other injuries."

The arm squeezed me gently. "Yeah, I guess… Though you're going to have a scar on your leg," he said.

I frowned. "Where?" I couldn't remember getting a gash on my leg, but if it scarred, it must've been pretty bad.

"Right here," he said, and put a finger on my leg, just above my right knee. As he traced the line upwards, I shivered.

His hand vanished instantly. "Are you cold?" he asked concernedly. It definitely hadn't been the room temperature that had made me shiver, but, luckily, I was saved from explaining that little detail when someone entered the room.

I could hear more than one set of footsteps and an odd noise I couldn't quite place, like someone was rolling something over the floor. "Good, you're awake-" a rich male voice said, but cut himself off. Will jumped off the bed, and I think he may have whispered something, or made a sign somehow, because the jovial atmosphere instantly changed. "Ah," the voice said.

"Is there nothing we can do?" a girl's voice whispered, and I recognized that one: Annabeth.

I thought about making a remark that I could hear them, but I didn't particularly wanted them to focus their attention on me.

One set of footsteps came towards the bed. "Hey," Percy said. I was kind of glad he was there. For some reason, he made me feel safe, a feeling I hadn't experienced overly much in the last few years.

"Hi," I whispered back. I was really glad my tears had dried by now, I didn't want to cry in front of these people. I didn't want the adult guy or Annabeth to think I was weak. I wouldn't mind Percy seeing me crying, but it'd probably make him feel uncomfortable.

"Jade, this is Chiron, our activities director here at camp, he wanted to ask you a few questions," Percy said gently. I assumed he meant the guy with the rich voice I'd heard earlier.

I heard the rolling noise again, and then the voice, but a lot closer and lower to the ground than I expected. "May I ask where you're from?"

I frowned. It was kind of a weird question. "I grew up in Maine," I replied.

"Were you born there?" Chiron asked. He had a nice voice, like he was a kind uncle or something, but without a face to match it to, it was a little weird.

"No, my parents told me I was born in New York, but they moved for my dad's job." Which made it all the harder when he lost said job.

"Do you have any siblings?"

I was seriously starting to wonder where this line of questioning was headed. "No," I replied, not offering up any more details.

"I imagine you've been through a great deal. Do you remember how you ended up in New York?"

"I took a greyhound," I deadpanned. I knew he had probably meant something else, but I didn't really feel like being cooperative. He had to have some kind of reason for his questioning, but I couldn't figure it out.

"Why New York?"

"I don't know, it's the biggest city around, maybe I thought I could disappear here!" I shouted, getting frustrated.

"Did anything guide you?" Chiron asked, still sounding kind and gentle. It sounded like he knew, but only wanted me to say it out loud. There was no way I was going to admit that I was hearing voices, though.

"No," I lied.

"You sure you didn't hear a voice, Jade?" Annabeth asked. "Sometimes the gods lead stray demigods to the vicinity of the camp so we can collect them more easily."

That made me pause. The voice in my head had been a god? "I… Yeah, there was a voice. The night I ran away, I dreamt the route I'd take to New York. Didn't realize there'd be so many monsters, though."

"Usually there aren't," Chiron said. "You must be a strong demigod to attract them like that."

I wasn't sure how to answer that, so I didn't.

"Well, I'm sure your godly parent will claim you when he or she thinks the time is right. For now, we're going to need to start your lessons."

"Lessons?" I asked, completely confused. The subject had changed so quickly, I was feeling a little dizzy.

"You'll need to learn how to navigate the world in your current state, as well as how to at least marginally defend yourself." He went on to explain about the various lessons most campers got, and which ones I'd have to take up. There weren't a lot.

Apparently, most campers stayed in cabins, depending on which parent they had, but I was going to have to stay in the Big House, the place I was currently in. It was the main house of the camp, and the home of both Chiron, and the camp director, a guy named Mr. D. They made some allusions about the guy, but I couldn't figure out who he was.

Will would keep taking care of me. He was appointed to be my personal counsellor, whatever that meant. I guessed it would mean that he'd be the one showing me around, and being responsible for me.

Chiron himself would teach me about using a cane, reading braille and all that other stuff blind people needed to know. Luckily, there was some magic that could make me learn a lot faster than normal.

All in all, I didn't get such a bad deal, but I was feeling a little helpless.

Chiron and Annabeth left soon after, but Percy and Will stayed, and we chatted some more. They were both pretty cool guys, though I was a lot more used to dealing with girls. I'd never really had guy friends before, but they made me laugh and tried to make me feel about as comfortable as I could. During that time, I could pretend that I was just resting my eyes, that I wasn't blind.

"So, any clues as to who your parent is?" Will asked curiously. He'd taken up residence on the foot of my bed, while I was curled up on the top. Percy sat in a chair next to us.

"Uhm," I said, thinking. "I like to sing, but considering that it sounds like cats being tortured I'm thinking that's a no on Apollo," I joked.

Percy snorted. "You should hear Apollo's poems. No offence dude, but your dad sucks," Percy said to Will. "He's a nice guy and all, but I'm thinking he became the god of music and poetry just because he had so much to learn."

Will shrugged. "None taken. Not everyone in our cabin is a particularly good musician, you know."

"So, have you got any hobbies?" Percy asked,.

"Not really. I used to take horseback riding lessons when I was really little, until it became too expensive. I wasn't any good though. When my dad lost his job, I spent most of my time in my room."

"There's nothing you liked to do?" Will asked. I felt him shift, and I hope he wasn't feeling sorry for me.

"We took a trip to Florida when I was six or seven, and while mom and dad were working, I took surfing lessons. It was pretty much the coolest thing I've ever done. I remember being the best in the class. I rode a wave perfectly my first time out. Of course, every time after that, I fell off. Especially when the teacher asked me to show the rest of the class… Anyway, I like solving puzzles, but I guess that doesn't really help, does it?"

I think Percy and Will were considering my answer, because they didn't answer right away. "I suck at surfing. Tried it once and nearly drowned. Archery's my thing, thanks very much," Will said casually. I laughed at him. "It's not funny!" he protested.

"It kind of is, dude," Percy said. "Surfing really isn't that hard." I nodded in agreement.

"Easy for you to say, mister I-control-the-currents. You can't even drown!"

I turned my face toward Percy – or where I guessed her was. "Really? How does that work?" I asked curiously. It must be cool not to drown and to control the currents.

"I don't know, I just don't. I don't even get wet underwater, only if I focus on it."

"That's so cool. I wish I was a daughter of Poseidon."

"Not very likely," Will said. "The Big Three – that is Hades, Zeus and Poseidon – made a pact not to have any more kids after world war two. Percy sort of just happened." I could just imagine Will grinning at Percy and him scowling back.

"Well, there's two other demigods like me. There's Thalia Grace, she's the daughter of Zeus, and Nico di Angelo, son of Hades," Percy said, sounding a little grouchy.

"Well, I'm definitely not one of those, then. Any other suggestions?"

We speculated for most of the afternoon. Will had gotten Chiron's permission to keep me company, and Percy was hiding out in my room to avoid a child of Ares named Clarisse. Apparently she was going to pulverize him is she got her hands on him.

Eventually, Percy had to go to lunch, and Will left to go get me some food. I sank back down onto the bed, feeling exhausted but good. I hadn't had a nice time with friends like that in years. As my eyes drifted close, I hoped every day could be like that.

**A/N: Tell me what you think!**


	4. Learning processes

**A/N: Because I am completely stumped on all of my other fics, I've decided to post another chapter of this. It **

**Chapter 4: Learning processes**

Over the next two weeks, I spent most of my time with Chiron, Will, and a daughter of Demeter called Katie Gardiner. She was really nice and helped me study up on Greek mythology and monsters. She was also the only girl I talked to with any regularity. Annabeth hadn't come by since that first day, which I thought was too bad, because she seemed really cool. Katie told me that she thought Annabeth was mad at something and that's why she didn't come by anymore.

Percy still visited whenever he could. I was really grateful for his presence, because as much I was coming to love Will and Katie, it was nice to be able to talk to someone else for a change.

I hadn't gone to any of the campfires at night, mostly because I didn't really feel like I belonged there yet, and because I was out like a light by that time. For some reason Chiron couldn't figure out, I was always very tired. His most popular theory was that it was because I didn't get enough exercise.

I learnt how to use the cane inside the house at first and now I was allowed to go on walks as long as someone was with me. I still kept away from the main area of the camp, though.

I was beginning to lose hope that my godly parent would ever claim me, though Chiron tried to reassure me. He said that I probably hadn't been claimed because I hadn't gone to any gatherings yet. The most people I'd ever had around me where Will, Katie, Chiron and Percy. Maybe the gods didn't consider that a large enough crowd…

Still, today was the first time I'd go to a campfire, and Katie was laughing at my nerves. If I could've seen her, I would've smacked her. Well… I actually _could_ see her, somewhat. I hadn't told anyone, but ever since my second or third day here, I'd been seeing… sparks, for lack of a better term. At first, I thought it was just some kind of side-effect of being blind, or even my imagination, but they hadn't gone away. I found that if I concentrated hard enough, I could almost see an entire person. It only worked on living beings and magical artifacts.

I had learned that Chiron was a centaur hiding in a wheelchair by actually seeing the damn thing. It was nearly solid, that's how I knew it must've been drenched in magic, not just slightly magic, like most celestial bronze weapons around camp.

Another handy thing about my gift was that in most demigods, there was a little color. Most of the sparks were gold, but in demigods, I noticed colors that identified them. Percy had a greenish hue, while Katie was more bronze and Will was blue. It was a little like seeing hordes of fireflies making up a person. Most of the sparks were gold, swirling around within the confines of that person, while just a few of them were colored. The more powerful the demigod, the more colored sparks.

When I concentrated, Chiron became a nearly solid silvery gold. The entire camp was fairly magical, so even inanimate objects became visible, but not very clearly, sort of like it was dark, but all the magic was casting a slight glow on everything.

"Are you even listening to me?" Katie asked with a grin. I looked up at her. She was the only one who knew about my 'Sight', I hadn't even told Will or Percy.

"I'm sorry," I apologized sheepishly. "What were you saying?"

"I said that it's not a gala, all you need is jeans and a camp shirt. And don't worry. Just because no one knows about you doesn't mean they'll pounce or anything," she assured me. Because I'd kept away from the other campers, and Chiron hadn't made an announcement, almost no one at camp was aware of my existence. My attending the campfire was supposed to change that, and hopefully get my godly parent to claim me.

"I know, I can't help it. They're going to stare…"

"No one's ever died because they were stared at, Jade… Well, aside from people who got stared at by Medusa, but that's beside the point."

"Ready ladies?" Will asked, sticking his head into the room.

Katie rolled her eyes. "You could have knocked. What if Jade had been standing here in her underwear?" she asked scathingly. She actually liked Will, but thought it funny to be mean to him.

I blushed deeply. I didn't want to imagine Will coming across me in my bra. It brought thoughts to my head that just weren't appropriate for someone to think about their best friend.

I wish I could see facial expressions, but the sparks only gave me a vague outline of a person, unless they were Chiron or a god. The one time I'd come across Mr. D, or Dionysus, as I found out then, he nearly blinded me, he was so bright. I had 'squint' mentally.

"We're ready!" I said hastily, to cut off whatever Katie's reply would have been. The other girl handed me my cane and preceded me out of the door.

"Come on Solace, can't you be a gentleman? Offer the lady your arm!" Katie joked, elbowing Will in the side.

Though I supposedly couldn't see him, Will swept into a dramatic bow. "Milady," he said grandly, offering a hand. He was aware enough of my handicap, so he touched his hand to mine.

I knew I had to be blushing furiously, but I closed my hand around his gratefully. I was fine walking inside the house, but on grass it was a little trickier. "My hero," I said with a chuckle. Will tucked my arm in his – it was my free arm, thankfully – and off we went.

As we got closer to where I knew the campfires were held, I felt more and more stares on me. I closed my second 'Sight' – as I called it – because I couldn't take it anymore. Will must've read my thoughts, because not a minute later did he comment on it. "Look on the bright side, at least you can't see anyone." I could tell he was grinning, but he wasn't as relaxed as his tone implied. The arm my hand was resting on was tense, like he was ready to jump to my defense at a moment's notice. Katie was uncharacteristically quiet, too.

With all the random noise, I couldn't make out individual sounds, so when Percy walked up to us, I was startled. "Sorry," he apologized. "It'll be okay, you'll see. Everyone's always much more relaxed at campfires. It's just too bad you won't be able to see the fire itself. It lights up with different colors, depending on everyone's mood, and it burns higher the more energetic everyone is."

He was completely unaware of the tension in the group. That, or he was ignoring it. I thought it was the latter. Percy might make stupid comments sometimes, but he was far from stupid.

Eventually my little cluster of friends and I sat down on a bench where it was warm. I figured the fire must've been right in front of me. I risked a peek with my Sight, but had to close my mental eyes immediately. The fire was almost pure magic, it was so bright that it nearly blinded me.

Talk was rather more subdued than I would have imagined, but I guess that was my fault. Percy and Will carried on a conversation about weapons that I wasn't following, but I still appreciated the effort. Katie was groping around for something to talk about, but I wasn't really in a talkative mood.

"I hope they'll settle down quickly, I want to get this over with," Annabeth said from behind me. I hadn't realized that she'd joined out little group, and only now noticed that they were sitting in a protective circle around me.

"Are you all worried that everyone is going to get violent or do I just naturally incur this kind of protective behavior?" I deadpanned. Will and Percy fell silent, and Gods that was a guilty silence if ever I heard one.

I never liked being in the center of attention, but these idiots weren't making it any easier for me. I rolled my eyes, but let the subject drop. I really did appreciate the effort and was kind of touched by how much they cared. I had only known them for a little while, after all.

Will silently handed me a bottle, which I gratefully accepted. My throat was already dry.

I heard the telltale sound of Chiron's hooves on the stone floor of the amphitheater, and focused my attention on the centaur. I found that if I didn't focus directly at the flames, I could sort of see, if I 'squinted'.

Honestly, I didn't remember much of what he said, afterwards, I just noted that he mentioned briefly that we had a new camper named Jade, and then he hurried on with the rest of the announcements. He didn't really give the other campers a chance to react to my name, and forced them to concentrate on his next words. A good tactic in any other case, but these were all ADHD teenagers. They continued to stare at me.

"Why is she blind?" a girl's voice suddenly shouted, cutting off whatever Chiron had been saying at the time.

"Clarisse," Percy growled behind me, too low for anyone but our little group to hear.

"She had a run-in with some monsters in Central Park," Chiron explained calmly. A wave went through the crowd, a little of the tension melting away. I guessed demigods like these could appreciate a good injury.

The girl wasn't finished, though. "She wasn't strong enough to fight them off? Must be one of yours." She said that last bit in the opposite direction, talking to one of the other cabins, I thought.

"She ain't pretty enough," a boy shouted. It sounded like it came from the same direction as Clarisse, but I couldn't be sure in a group that large.

My cheeks were flaming, and I shrunk in on myself, but my friends would let that insult stand. "Shut up, Mark!" Katie shouted, standing up. I tried to grab her hand to pull her down, but she shook me off.

"Ooh, someone's got herself a little friend! Maybe she's one of yours then, since you're no good with a weapon either," the boy sneered.

"You should seriously watch what you're saying," Will jumped in. From what Percy had told me, he was fairly popular, and even held some sway over the other campers.

"A boyfriend too?" Clarisse joined in. "Maybe she _is_ one of those Aphrodite freaks after all."

I felt Percy starting to rise behind me, but I couldn't stand the argument anymore. Vaguely, I wondered why Chiron hadn't stepped in yet, but that thought was soon forgotten. All this shouting only brought back horrible memories of my father, memories I'd much rather forget. I clutched the bottle in my hands tighter and rose without realizing it. "Stop!" I shouted, much louder than I'd intended. "Just stop!"

My breath was coming in gasps, and the bottle was basically mush in my hands. Then, something weird happened, as an uncomfortable silence settled over the campers, I felt a weird tugging sensation in my abdomen, and my bottle suddenly burst open.

It was weird, I knew exactly where the water was, it floating in the air in front of me, but I had no clue how I had gotten it there. Because there was no denying that I had been the one who had moved it.

No one said a word. I got control over my breathing again, and managed to let go of the water, which splashed harmlessly to the ground in front of me. You could cut the tension with a knife.

And then, something happened. Everyone shifted their gazes to a point about a foot above my head. I resisted the urge to look at it

Thankfully, Chiron made that point moot. "All hail Jade, daughter of Poseidon."

**A/N: So yeah, that was it. What did you think of the Sight? Leave me comments!**


	5. I get a brother

**A/N: I haven't gotten a lot of feedback on this, so I'm a little sad. On one hand I understand that this is a fandom that is just not that popular anymore, and the topic I chose, as well as the fact that the main character is an OC is not that attractive, but on the other hand; I honestly think it's fairly well written, so I'm a tad disappointed.**

**Nevertheless, for the few people that are interested, here's chapter 5, and I hope you'll enjoy it!**

**Chapter 5: I get a brother**

To say that things got awkward after that was quite the understatement. I got ushered back to the Big House pretty quickly, my band of friends and Chiron following closely. I was really glad that Mr. D had chosen not to attend that night.

Once back, Will and Katie peppered me with questions I had no answer to, Annabeth paced the floor, obviously thinking hard, Percy sort of just sat in a chair, a little shocked, while Chiron kept staring.

"But did you have _any_ idea-" Will started, but I cut him off.

"No, of course I didn't know!" I walked past him and stood by Percy. "Perce, are you okay?" I asked quietly.

He looked up at me. "I'm fine, I just don't understand why my dad would break the pact less than two years apart… When's your birthday?"

I was ashamed I actually had to think about that. "Uhm… In two weeks," I said, a little amazed at the fact. "I'll be thirteen."

"Either way, you'll turn fifteen before she does, Percy, it's doubtful that she's the one," Annabeth said, sinking down into one of the couches.

I wanted to ask what they were talking about, but Will interrupted me. "At least now we know why you're so good at surfing and horseback riding."

I shook my head. "Like those were questions I needed answers to. What I want to know is who I am. Okay, sure, Poseidon is my dad, but is my mom even my mom? And if not, why would my own mother send me away? Why didn't she want me?" I managed to say all of that without crying, though my eyes were stinging.

Katie put an arm around me. "We'll find out, I promise."

She'd barely said those words when another voice joined in the conversation. "Your mother was a queen among women, and I loved her very much."

We all spun towards the doorway, where a solid gold and green person now stood. I knew instinctively that this was Poseidon, my father.

"Dad," Percy said, half-rising from his chair.

"I don't have long. I'm not actually supposed to be here, but in my opinion, the circumstances warranted it."

Chiron bowed respectfully, and backed off into the corner. He'd be listening, but he wouldn't interfere.

"We should go," Annabeth whispered. She pulled Will and Katie along with her, however unwilling they were to leave.

That left just me and Percy, and a God standing in the Big House living room.

"Percy told me that you said you loved his mother, but a year later you…" I trailed off, knowing he understood what I meant. I closed my 'eyes', needing a respite from the brightness.

Poseidon nodded. "I loved your mother." The way he said it made me frown. It wasn't 'I loved _your_ mother', nor any other phrasing I was expecting.

"Why would you say it like that?" I asked. "You didn't say 'I loved _your _mother, and neither did you say I loved both of your mothers… Does that mean…?"

The God tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "My sweet girl. You've had a very difficult time, and I'm sorry I couldn't shield you from it. You deserve a proper family. Your brother will take care of you," he said. Even that little bit of contact left me wanting more. I wanted a hug, but I knew Poseidon wouldn't welcome it.

Percy had been standing next to us, watching. Now, Poseidon turned to him. "You've done well so far, son, but know that your ordeals aren't over yet. Take care of your sister," he said, putting a hand on his son's shoulder.

When he stepped back, I knew he was about to leave. "Wait," I said hurriedly, and pulled a ring off my finger. It was so big it fit my thumb, but it was very precious to me. "I found this in Florida, when I went surfing." I put the ring around my father's pinkie finger. "To remind you of us," I said in way of an explanation, blushing furiously.

Poseidon stared at the ring. It was fairly simple silver, but I'd loved the flow-y design on it. The ring glowed for a second, and appeared on a leather thong around his neck instead. I couldn't actually see the ring, since it wasn't magic, but the thong was conjured by a God, so it was shining just as brightly as the rest of him.

"Be safe, children," he said, and started to glow even brighter. I closed both sets of my eyes, just in time. When I opened them again, he was gone, Percy was still averting his eyes, and Chiron was still in his corner.

I studied Percy. When I first saw him the morning I woke up at camp, he'd seemed familiar. I'd brushed it off, thinking I just remembered him from the fight, but now it was obvious. I'd recognized him, because I look at the female version of his face in the mirror every day. "I look like you," I whispered. From the dark hair and tanned complexion down to the sea-green eyes, he and I looked alike. My face was slimmer, and perhaps my eyes were more almond-shaped, but the overall picture was the same.

Percy turned to me, and I wished I could see his expression now, more than ever. "It's probably a good thing you have that scar over your lip, or they'd never be able to keep us apart," he said eventually. It sounded like he was smiling, but I wasn't dumb enough to think that everything was okay now.

I smiled at him, knowing he was trying for my sake. "You said you had a brother," I remembered. "Who is he?"

Percy sat down on the couch. I noticed that sometime since Poseidon had left, Chiron had quietly vacated the room as well, leaving me and Percy to get to know each other all over again. "Yeah, his name's Tyson," he said as I joined him. "He's a Cyclops, and he's really nice."

"Cyclops? Like the one-eyed one from the myth?" I asked. I knew a little basic Greek mythology, mostly from movies and school, but I couldn't think of the hero who had defeated one.

"There's lots of Cyclopes, they're children of the gods and nymphs," Percy explained.

I wrinkled my nose. "So is he my older brother or younger?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around the fact that my dad had had another kid, but with a nymph.

"Not sure. I think he's older than me, even, but he's… well, he's a little simple sometimes. He'll call you his little sister right away, don't worry. His concept of family is a little wider than most," he said, chuckling. "He called Thalia 'cousin' once."

I smiled. "I guess our godly relations aren't really all that strict?"

"Nah, it's not like Annabeth is our niece, that'd be weird. Their DNA doesn't really work the same way, so family ties are negligible."

"You've been hanging out with Annabeth too much if you're starting to use words like 'negligible'," I teased, poking him in the shoulder.

He poked me right back and leaned back into the couch. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't know what to think…" he said quietly. "It's not that I'm not happy that you're my sister, it's just…"

"Your dad had another kid you didn't know about," I supplied.

He looked at me sheepishly. "I guess it's worse for you, huh?"

I shrugged. "At least now I know who I am. And honestly, I'm kind of glad that my parents aren't actually my parents…" I admitted. "I guess I should call them Hank and Madison now, shouldn't I?"

Percy shrugged. "I don't know, I guess you can still call your mom 'mom'."

"Why? She's not," I said. Had Percy not understood Poseidon's message?

"What do you mean?"

"It's like Poseidon said, my mom is the same as yours," I said carefully. I hoped he wouldn't get mad. Coming to terms that you had a half-sister you didn't know about is one thing, but figuring out that she's a full sister?

"What? When did he say that?"

"He didn't say it outright, but he implied it, and I'm inclined to agree with him. My mom would never have cheated on my dad, and they've been together since high school."

Percy stayed quiet, and once again, I cursed my inability to read his expressions. "I… I need to call my mom," he said, getting up. I nodded, but kept my seat. As Percy walked out, I swallowed thickly. He hated me, I was sure. Why would he not? He had a pretty good life, and here I came, bursting into it and messing it up…

I pulled my legs up onto the couch and rested my head on my knees. It seemed I wasn't wanted no matter where I went.

/*/

**PPOV**

Percy kept walking until his feet hit the water of Long Island Sound. How could his dad have another kid? How could his mom for that matter? And why had neither of them ever told him? He knew the only one with answers was just as iris message away, but he hesitated to call her. His mom would be neck deep in her summer writing course right now, and he was hesitant to disturb her. He wondered what Paul would say. He'd accepted Percy easily enough, but what would he do with an emotionally unstable, blind thirteen-year-old girl? What would Jade do?

All these questions swirled around in his mind, until he couldn't stand it anymore. He fished a drachma out of his pocket and threw it into the spray. He was lucky that the light was just right to make a rainbow in the water thrown up as it hit the stones where he sat.

"Oh goddess of the rainbow, accept this offering," he invoked. As the drachma disappeared, he said his mother's name and location.

A minute later, a 'window' opened into their living room. His mom was typing away on her laptop, and Paul was nowhere to be seen. "Mom," Percy said, trying to get her attention.

She looked up. "Percy!" She beamed at him until she noticed his expression and the smile melted off her face. She set her laptop aside and leaned closer. "What's wrong?"

"Does the name Jade mean anything to you?" he asked. He didn't want to ask outright.

Sally put a hand to her mouth and she became teary-eyed. "Where did you hear that name?" She managed to choke out.

"She's my sister, isn't she?" he asked. If his mom recognized the name to the extent that she nearly started crying, there was no other explanation.

Unable to form words, his mom nodded. "She…" she swallowed. "She was born a little over a year after you." Sally tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "She was such a beautiful girl. You'd proclaimed yourself her protector almost right away, you were so happy to be a big brother."

Percy couldn't imagine himself as a one-year-old with a baby sister, much less that he'd proclaim himself as her protector.

His mom went on. "When she was about a year and a half, we were at the park, and I took my eyes off her for just a second…. She was gone," she choked out, sobbing. "Your father was furious, and searched far and wide for her-"

"Wait," Percy interrupted. "Dad was there?" he asked incredulously. He'd always thought that his dad had left his mom right after she'd gotten pregnant.

Sally nodded. "He visited from time to time when you were both young. You idolized him, and he adored you both." She sniffed, wiping at her tears. "He couldn't find your sister. Monsters had taken her, but your father couldn't find her… Eventually, we accepted that she'd died. Your father never came back after that."

'_No wonder mom always cried whenever I asked about my dad,'_ Percy thought. _'She was thinking about Jade…'_ "I'm so sorry, mom. But she's not dead."

Sally looked like she needed to grab onto something for support. "What?" she breathed.

"She's here at camp. Dad just claimed her and explained that she's my sister."

Sally made choked sound and pressed both of her hands to her mouth. Tears were slowly falling down her face, and Percy felt awful for making her cry. "Can I-" she started, but had to press her hands back to her face to gain some composure. Taking a deep, uneven breath, she tried again. "Can I see her?"

Percy bit his lip, looking over his shoulder at the Big House. He'd sort of left her there in a hurry. He hoped she wouldn't think he was mad at her or anything. "Yeah, sure, I'll go get her," he said absently, and jogged off. His mind was going a mile a minute – which, honestly, was more Annabeth's forte than his – as he thought about the bombshell his dad had just dropped on him.

He pushed it out of his mind as he got back to the Big House. Jade wasn't in the living room anymore, but that hardly surprised Percy. He went to the room that had been dubbed hers and found her sitting on the bed, braiding her hair.

It was black, like his, and just as unruly. She had the advantage that she could put it up so it wouldn't look so windswept and messy. As he paused in the doorway, Jade's hands stilled on her hair. "Percy? You can come in, you know," she said, keeping her back to him.

"Come on, I want to show you something," he said.

**A/N: Review!**


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